Harry and Meghan Could Be Following Princess Madeleine’s Path — The Hidden Detail Behind Their UK Future
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in the process of making Britain their home, again, six years after fleeing the royal family for an independent life in the United States.
Prince Harry and Meghan, and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have now arrived in the UK as they begin a new chapter, one decade after meeting on a blind date in London.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have walked a path that bears many similarities to Sweden’s Princess Madeleine, who has lived in the US and launched commercial endeavours away from the monarchy she was born into. AP
Since marrying at Windsor Castle in 2018, the couple’s lives have taken many different turns, but their journey has always closely mirrored that of a Scandinavian princess who moved to the US before eventually returning to her homeland.
In January 2020, as Harry and Meghan prepared to leave the royal family for the US, nine.com.au ran a piece comparing how their new lives in the US were likely to follow a similar path to Sweden’s Princess Madeleine, daughter of the country’s ruling monarch.
Now, six years on, the similarities between the Sussexes and Princess Madeleine and her young family are even greater. They share not only the privilege of being part of a prominent European monarchy but, as lower-ranked royals who don’t benefit from the taxpayer, they’ve each had to forge their own path through commercial endeavours.
But there are a number of key differences between the two; differences that have shaped how each are viewed by the public and their respective royal families.
Princess admits to ‘struggling’ with royal role
The 44-year-old, who is the youngest daughter of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, is ninth in line to the throne.
Her eldest sister is Sweden’s heir, Crown Princess Victoria, and her brother is Prince Carl Philip. Princess Madeleine, colloquially speaking, is the spare to the ‘spare’.
While she is a prominent figure at royal family-related events, she is not a working royal unlike her two elder siblings and does not receive an allowance from the king or government.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden is not a full-time working member of the royal family. Instead, she carries out select duties when requested to by her father the king. Linda Broström/The Royal Court of Sweden
Glamorous and popular with everyday Swedes, Princess Madeleine is the cover star of Vogue Scandinavia’s September issue.
She took part in a photoshoot on the royal island of Djurgården, in central Stockholm, and in the Royal Stables where she shared her passion for horses and riding (in her teenage years and early 20s, Madeleine competed in showjumping under the pseudonym Anna Svensson until the media realised who she really was).
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In the cover story, which hit the newsstands this week, Madeleine was photographed in a mix of designer evening and casual outfits, partially chosen by her. She often does her own hair and makeup for public events.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia in the August/September 2026 issue. Vogue Scandinavia
She spoke of her trouble adjusting to her role as a member of the royal family while growing up, recalling her desire “to be able to ride the bus myself, just like all my friends do”.
“My siblings were much more accepting of the roles that we had,” Princess Madeleine told the publication.
“I was always kind of struggling with that. When we had to interact with media photographers, I was always the one who ran away, and they had to chase me.”
Sweden’s royal family pictured at their summer residence, Solliden, in 2025. Sara Friberg/The Royal Court of Sweden
Prince Harry, and Meghan, have spoken at length about their unhappiness at being part of the royal family, beginning with a tell-all with Oprah Winfrey about the many reasons why they left in 2020, followed by Harry’s memoir Spare in 2023.
Last year, the duke told a Melbourne mental health summit he wanted out of the royal family when he was a teenager.
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“After my mum died just before my 13th birthday I was like, ‘I don’t want this job. I don’t want this role. Wherever this is headed, I don’t like it’,” Harry said.
The Duchess of Sussex is no stranger to giving interviews to major publications. In 2017, her first major magazine cover was Vanity Fair, which ran the headline ‘She’s just wild about Harry’.
Meghan gave a wide-ranging interview to Harper’s Bazaar last year, in what was her first major magazine cover since leaving the royal family. Harper’s Bazaar
Her first cover since joining the royal family came last year when Meghan featured on Harper’s Bazaar US edition, most memorable for this observation by the journalist who interviewed Meghan: “When I enter, the house manager announces, ‘Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’, even though we appear to be the only other two people in the house”.
It must be noted both Diana, the late Princess of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Denmark’s Queen Mary have all featured on the cover of Vogue, along with accompanying interviews.
Living in America… and back again
Madeleine moved from Sweden to New York in 2010, after calling off her engagement to Jonas Bergstrom amid allegations he was unfaithful. While in Manhattan, she worked for the World Childhood Foundation, which she had been involved with since 2006.
Princess Madeleine married banker Christopher O’Neill in June 2013 in Sweden’s Royal Palace church. Getty
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The charity was started by her mother in 1999 and helps children who are abandoned, abused or neglected, providing vital resources, mentor programs and legal services globally. She is now on its board of directors.
It was in New York where Madeleine met British-born banker Christopher O’Neill, the pair later marrying in 2013 in a spectacular wedding in Sweden, attended by royalty from around the world, before returning to the US.
Their eldest daughter, Princess Leonore, now 12, was born in Manhattan while Prince Nicolas, 11, and Princess Adrienne, eight, were born in Stockholm. The family briefly lived in London and in 2018, they moved to Miami, in Florida, where they lived for just over a decade.
Princess Madeleine and her family returned to Sweden in late 2024 after living in Florida for a decade. Clément Morin/The Royal Court of Sweden
In 2023, the Royal House announced plans for Princess Madeleine and her family to “relocate to Sweden indefinitely”, confirming the three children would start at schools in Stockholm.
The family returned to Sweden in late 2024 and have settled in an apartment at the Royal Stables, described by the Royal House as their “permanent residence”, close to the king and queen’s official residence, Drottningholm Palace.
At the time, the palace’s head of communications Margareta Thorgren said it was a decision Princess Madeleine and her husband “made together” because they wanted the children to grow up knowing more about Madeleine’s homeland.
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“They are looking forward to this move and that the children will be residents in Sweden with all that that entails,” Thorgren said.
In an interview with the BBC last year Prince Harry expressed his sadness at his son and daughter potentially missing out the quintessential Britishness of his childhood, including the customs and traditions they wouldn’t experience in America saying “the things that they’re going to miss is, well, everything”.
Much like Madeleine’s children with their grandfather King Carl XVI Gustaf, who turned 80 in April, Harry also wants to ensure Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have a relationship with their grandfather King Charles III.
Prince Harry has expressed a desire for his two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to experience British culture as he did. Instagram/@Meghan
The two Sussex children will begin at a mixed independent school in Britain in early September.
Changing roles, and titles, in the royal family
Princess Madeleine, who is styled as Her Royal Highness, also holds the title Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland.
Her royal role has changed significantly since 2019, when King Carl XVI Gustaf announced sweeping reforms to the royal family affecting some of his grandchildren.
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The monarch chose to remove the styles of His/Her Royal Highness and the financial allowance given to members of the royal house. The changes affected the four children of Princess Madeleine and the four children of Prince Carl Philip and his wife, Princess Sofia. The three children of Crown Princess Victoria were excluded from the reforms.
Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia with Princess Madeleine celebrating the king’s birthday in 2022. Jonas Ekströmer/TT/Kungahuset
The king said the move was done to “clarify expectations”.
“It will hopefully be helpful when my grandchildren eventually carve out their own future. But, to that day, it is far away,” he said.
Princess Madeleine said she agreed with her father’s decision, saying the move would give her children “a greater opportunity to shape their own lives”.
For his part, Madeleine’s husband declined a royal title when he married into the royal family, choosing to keep his dual American-British citizenship and remain a private citizen.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s recent visit to Australia included a mix of commercial and charity engagements, leading to criticisms they were cashing in on their royal status. Getty
Princess Madeleine now only carries out official engagements for the king when called upon. The Royal House described her role as being “limited” and “carries out engagements as determined by HM The King”.
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However, she and her family are always included in royal family events and appeared on the palace balcony during celebrations marking the king’s 80th birthday in Stockholm.
Prince Harry and Meghan chose to walk away from their former roles as senior working royals in the British royal family in 2020. Their exit agreement with the late Queen Elizabeth II was finalised a year later.
The duchess relaunched herself as a lifestyle influencer in 2025 but her Netflix series With Love, Meghan only lasted two seasons. JAKE ROSENBERG/NETFLIX
Their return to Britain is not expected to change their status as private citizens and they are not likely to carry out official duties on behalf of King Charles anytime soon. However, they may attend wider events with the royal family such as Christmas at Sandringham, Royal Ascot, Easter at Windsor Castle and even Trooping the Colour.
Since his accession, Charles has limited the number of family members on the Buckingham Palace balcony on his official birthday to just working royals only.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were not given royal titles at birth and were only able to use the titles of prince and princess when their grandfather became sovereign in 2023, under the rules governing the titles of royal children set out by King George V in 1917.
Prince Harry remains fifth in line to the throne with his two children sixth and seventh.
Prince Harry and Meghan are returning to Britain after six years but they are unlikely to be included on the palace balcony anytime soon. James Devaney/FilmMagic
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Royal titles and finding commercial success
When Prince Harry and Meghan left the royal family in 2020, they were permitted to keep using their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles but not the HRH prefix.
Last year, a note written by Meghan to a friend exposed she had breached that agreement made with the late queen. It read, “With the compliments of HRH the Duchess of Sussex”, revealing Meghan and Harry had continued to use their royal prefixes in private.
They were also banned from using the word “royal” in any branding relating to their commercial endeavours.
Prince Harry and Meghan revealed plans to leave the UK on January 8, 2020, the day after visiting Canada House in London. Getty
Prince Harry and Meghan’s careers outside the royal family has seen them commercialise on their royal status at every turn: they were referred to as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in projects with Netflix and Spotify, in interviews and red carpet appearances and at paid events.
In April, the couple were heavily criticised for cashing in on their royal status with commercial engagements in Australia alongside charity appearances.
Princess Madeleine has done things very differently in her pursuit of commercial success.
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Last September, the king’s daughter launched a skincare line, minLen, with Swiss-German company Weleda, aimed at children and teenagers.
Madeleine worked with skincare giant Weleda to create her own line minLen, launched in 2025 under her private name Madeleine Bernadotte. Instagram/minlen_official
The range includes face creams for both adults, children and babies, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, serums, body oil and lip balm.
The brand is sold under the name ‘Madeleine Bernadotte’ due to it being “a private initiative” and a commercial endeavour.
When the skincare line was announced, Sweden’s Royal House said the decision to launch the brand had been made “in consultation” with the princess, adding “this private enterprise is compatible with Princess Madeleine’s role as a Royal Highness”.
The palace added that Princess Madeleine had not received any funding provided to the royal family from the government and that “she participates in and carries out official engagements as needed and based on the king’s requests”.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, launched her lifestyle brand As ever in 2025 but so far it only ships to US customers. @meghan
In contrast, Meghan’s lifestyle brand As ever is heavily promoted using her royal status. For an example, in an email to subscribers when announcing the launch of her debut rosé, the wine was described as having been “thoughtfully curated by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex”.
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And in April, the full royal titles of Meghan’s children were included in the product descriptions of new candles sold by the brand in a Mother’s Day promotion. One, named the ‘Signature Candle No. 506’ was listed online as having been inspired by “Prince Archie of Sussex’s Birthdate”. After backlash, the royal titles were swiftly removed.
In 2021, Meghan published her first children’s book The Bench under the name Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
Princess Madeleine co-authored the children’s book Stella and the Secret in 2019 under her private name. Proceeds of the book went directly to Madeleine’s charity.
Returning to the royal fold
Since returning to Sweden just over two years ago, Princess Madeleine has been a regular at both royal family related events, charity engagements and at select official engagements at the request of father the king.
Princess Madeleine and her family are regular fixtures at royal family-related event and took a prominent role at King Carl XVI Gustaf’s recent 80th birthday celebrations in April. Michael Campanella/Getty Images
Her skincare brand is growing, and she is free to do interviews as she pleases.
Madeleine’s children are very much included in family events alongside their royal cousins and the princess is often photographed with her two siblings, who she is close with.
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The situation facing Harry and Meghan in Britain is very different. Relations between the Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales are non-existent; Harry and Meghan’s children are unlikely to be invited for play dates with the Wales children anytime soon.
The couple will have to earn their own way and are almost guaranteed to headline high-profile paid events here and there, all while supporting the remaining charities they are continued to be connected with. The duchess may return to acting while building As ever’s international expansion.
Unlike Madeleine and her family in Stockholm, they will not be living at a royal residence. They have reportedly secured private accommodation just outside of London.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are returning to Britain where their reception with the public, and the rest of the royal family, is an unknown. @meghan
Prince Harry and Meghan’s decision to criticise the royal family, and earn a hefty sum for doing so, means their royal return will play out very differently from that of Princess Madeleine’s and O’Neill’s. The Swedish princess has never spoken poorly of her royal relatives, maintaining positive relations even when living apart.
She has shown how being a royal ‘spare’ can not only be an asset to the monarchy while also allowing herself to find the freedom to carve out her own role within it.
